[New concepts for endoprostheses of the distal radio-ulnar joint]

Abstract

Arthrosis of the distal radioulnar joint has many causes. Patients present with painful limitation of forearm rotation, loss of grip strength, and instability. The various existing resection arthroplasties of the distal radioulnar joint usually lead to satisfying results. Nevertheless, all of these procedures result in various degrees of instability of the distal end of the ulna, often with accompanying pain and loss of grip strength. For patients with unsatisfying results after previous surgery we developed a new therapeutical concept. It consists of anatomical reconstruction of the natural soft tissue stabilisers of the distal radioulnar joint using a new ulnar head prosthesis. The prosthesis consists of a titanium stem and a ceramic head implanted without cement. Preliminary results in a multi-center study are encouraging.